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Articles from Vol. 64, No. 1, April

An Economists' Guide to Life

An economists' guide to life John Roskam reviews an instant Australian classic. Economics for Life: An economist reflects on the meaning of life, money and what really matters. By Ian Harper. Published by Acorn Press, 184 pages, 2011If Ian Harper had...

Are Christianity and capitalism compatible?Of course, writes Sam Hearne.Entrepreneurship in the Catholic tradition By Father Anthony Percy Connor Court Publishing, 191 pages, 2011Can a good Christian be an entrepreneur? Christians have long debated what...

Luke Turner on the failures of mandatory helmet laws.Australia is one of only two countries in the world with national all-age mandatory bicycle helmet laws (MHLs).Introduced by state and territory governments under threat of cuts to federal road funding...

The political fight over health reform in the UK could fatally damage it, says Nick Trigg Ie.Like a bloodied fighter who wont give in, the government in England keeps slugging away in its battle over reform of the National Health Service. The administration-...

Rowan Dean unmasks the new generation of advertisers.There was a time in the late 1980s when there was only one thing worse than admitting you were a conservative at heart. And that was admitting you worked in advertising. Of all the vocations guaranteed...

Smaller government will mean more is built, argues Richard Allsop.It seems we used to get a lot more infrastructure before we had the word 'infrastructure.' Indeed, these days we rarely hear the word 'infrastructure' without 'backlog' following close...

Demystifying ChinaJohn Shipp reviews Henry Kissinger /Sest foreign policy tomeThe 'fundamental shift in the structure of the international system brought about by the resurgence of China is a familiar story.An occasionally neglected part of this story...

David Kemp exposes the flaws in the case against Andrew Bolt.Infringements on freedom of speech are hard to justify, and they should be. The public debate that grows out of freedom of speech is the fundamental social process we use in a democracy to...

Too much bureaucracy stifles good teachers, argues Kevin Donnelly.Australia's education system is overly bureaucratic and overdue for real reform.As a result of the federal Labor governments education revolution, teachers and schools now have to deal...

Peter Gregory travelled to Cambodia in 2011 to observe a radical new approach to fighting poverty.Over the past two decades, much has been made of so-called 'market-based' solutions to extreme poverty. The prevailing view is that poverty alleviation...

French freedom fighters? Julie Novak explores the work of the most important French classical liberal, Frederic Bastiat.In many ways France is a representative case for much of what is wrong with the European model of economic development.With a willing...

Howard's fault?The Slap argues that modern social-ills are thanks to the former prime minister. Richard Allsop disagrees.The Slap ABCTV seriesAvailable on DVD, 41 8 minutesThe Slap is full of swearing. As Danielle Williams, the Book Club Leader at the...

Left wing panicsAs Chris Berg explains, panic is not the sole preserve of the right.Panic by David Marr Penguin Books, 272 pages, 2011David Marr's new book, Panic, has a thesis that I am predisposed to like.He argues that Australia's political culture...

If you've been reading your Hey... What did I miss? (and if you haven't, we're very sad) you'll know that 13 February was UNESCO World Radio Day.As you are no doubt aware, this is the day meant to encourage decision-makers to create and provide access...

The debate rages onFollowing on from his earlier bestseller, professor Ian Plimer has continued his substantial contribution to climate change scepticism through 'How to Get Expelled From School: A Guide to Climate Change for Pupils, Parents and Punters'.Along...

Concerns about food security are just thinly veiled protectionism, argues Jamie Briggs.It is easy to denigrate 'free trade' because like democracy, it is not perfect. Developed countries unwisely continue to protect politically-sensitive markets. Developing...

If 2011 was Julia Gillard's year of decision and delivery. 2012 needs to be Tony Abbott's. Here's hoping he has more success.The opposition leader needs to decide if he is going to be a populist, political opportunist- or a leader, a genuine alternative...

20 GATTACA 1997THIS FUTURISTIC SCI-FI THRILLER IS A GLIMPSE INTO A WORLD WHERE YOUR GENETIC MAKEUP DETERMINES YOUR PROSPECTS FOR EMPLOYMENT, SOCIAL STATUS, LOVE AND LONGEVITY.The plot surrounds the efforts of Vincent, played by Ethan Hawke, a naturally...

The Finkelstein Report into Media and Media Regulation is not just a massive threat to freedom of the press. It's also a blatant attack on free speech.It's remarkable that in the twenty first century, in a liberal democracy like Australia, that a senior,...